IPL History: 5 One-match wonders in the IPL 

Indian Premier League has been instrumental in bringing many great talents from the country and across the globe into the limelight. It has given the opportunity to youngsters to not only play with many legends of the game but closely observe and learn from them as well.

Many players have done well in the IPL and have been consistent performers for their franchise. Many have even managed to make their case for the national team and have been successful in making it to the team.

However, there have been many names in the history of the tournament, who did well in a few games only. Played a few match-winning knocks or bowled one or two match-winning spells, but could never do it consistently for their team, and are termed as ‘One Match Wonders’.

In this article, we will have a look at 5 such ‘One Match Wonders’.

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#1 Kamran Khan (Rajasthan Royals – 2009 IPL)

Kamran Khan

This left-arm pace bowler from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh played for Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season of the IPL. Though he played 5 matches in the season, his best performance was in his 2nd match vs Kolkata Knight Riders. He managed to pick up 3 wickets from his quota of 4 overs while giving away only for 18 runs.

His first victim was Laxmi Ratan Shukla, followed by the wickets of current Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar & former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Kamran’s performance in other matches was nothing spectacular. Though he bowled another very good spell in the next match vs Kings XI Punjab, it all went downhill for him since that match. He also played 3 matches in IPL 2010 & one match in IPL 2011, where he failed to do well for the team & was never seen again in the IPL.

His overall figures stand at 9 wickets in 9 matches despite that one very good spell.

#2 Paul Valthaty (Kings XI Punjab – 2011 IPL)

Paul Valthaty was termed as the one to look out for in the future

This Mumbai-born lad, Paul Valthaty had also represented Kings XI Punjab in the inaugural IPL. He played only 2 matches & scored only 6 runs. He got the chance to open the innings with Adam Gilchrist in the 4th edition of the IPL & in the 2nd match he played a fantastic inning.

Against Chennai Super Kings at Mohali, he scored 120* off 63 balls which had 19 fours & 2 sixes. Punjab won the match & Valthaty was awarded man of the match. In the next match vs Deccan Chargers, Valthaty scored 75 off 47 balls.

But after that, he could not replicate his previous heroics. In the next 11 matches in the season, he scored only one fifty. In the next season, in the 6 matches he played, all he could manage was paltry 30 runs.

In the only match in the 2013 IPL he played, he scored only 6 runs. Valthaty could never replicate his previous heroics in next matches & hence faded away.

#3 Kevon Cooper (Rajasthan Royals – 2012 IPL)

Kevon Cooper - The potential which was never fulfilled

This tall West-Indian all-rounder represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2012. In his first match of the season & tournament, Cooper picked up a brilliant 4-Wicket haul vs Kings XI Punjab at Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

He started off with the wicket of Paul Valthaty and Shaun Marsh and followed it with the wickets of Abhishek Nayar & Piyush Chawla. He finished his 4 over spell at 4/26. Even with the bat, he got a hit for 3 balls & managed to score 11 runs.

Cooper followed it with another very good spell of bowling. He picked up 3/28 vs Kolkata Knight Riders. But in the next 4 matches, he could pick up only 3 wickets & conceded plenty of runs.

Kevon Cooper was part of the next season & 5 matches in the season next to that, but he could never make a big impact on any of those games.

#4 Yusuf Abdulla (Kings XI Punjab– 2009 IPL)

Yusuf Abdulla stepped up in the absence of Brett Lee

This left-arm seamer from South Africa was part of the Kings XI Punjab set up. Abdulla represented Kings in the 2nd edition of the IPL, which was hosted in South Africa.

Abdulla recorded impressive figures of 4/31 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. In the very next match vs Rajasthan Royals, he bowled another impressive spell of bowling where in his 4 overs, he conceded only 21 runs & managed to pick up 3 important wickets.

Yusuf Abdullah’s best performance came against Mumbai Indians at Kingsmead, Durban. In his spell of 4 overs, he picked up 2 wickets while giving only 19 runs. His scalps were JP Duminy & Shikhar Dhawan.

It was because of his miserly bowling that Kings XI managed to defend the small target of 120. After the match against MI, Abdulla could only pick 5 wickets in next 4 matches (4 of them came in one match) & was very expensive.

He was part of the next IPL as well, but he played only 2 matches & could pick up only one wicket.

#5 Manvinder Bisla (Kolkata Knight Riders– 2012 IPL)

Manvinder Bisla couldn't take his game to the next level

Before 2012, Bisla already played for KKR in last 2 seasons. He could manage only 290 runs in 12 matches.

However, it was in IPL 2012, when Bisla played a brilliant knock in the finals & became a household name. In the 6 matches prior to the big night of the final, Bisla’s highest score was 49 & his scores in other matches were nothing significant.

In the final though, Bisla played a blinder. Kolkata Knight Riders were chasing 191 to win the IPL trophy for the 2nd time. Even though KKR lost the skipper Gautam Gambhir very early, Bisla steadied the ship in partnership with Jacques Kallis & then went after the CSK bowlers.

He scored 89 of 48 balls. Albeit, he failed to touch the magical three-figure mark, his knock ensured KKR’s triumph.

Bisla was part of the KKR team for the next 3 seasons as well but all he could manage was 295 runs in 17 games.